Police: Missing Gladstone girl, 5, found safe

Authorities issued an Amber Alert for missing 5-year-old Lili Justine High on Monday.

Police said Lili Justine High was found about 2:15 p.m. with a family member in the Kansas City area.

Police say Lili was taken by a friend of the girl's mother, 38-year-old Tammi Lampkins, from a home in Gladstone.

GLADSTONE, MO (KCTV) -

A missing 5-year-old girl taken from her father's home in Gladstone has been found safe, police said Monday afternoon.

Lili Justine High's father was overjoyed when he was able to once again hold his daughter Monday afternoon. He said he could not describe his elation.

"I'm so relieved, so relieved," an emotional High said, adding the important thing is to have his daughter back safe and sound. "I'm just glad to have her back."

Lili's mother, Christina Willbanks, took her daughter to the Gladstone police station where she handed her daughter over to authorities about 2:15 p.m. Monday. Authorities questioned Willbanks, and have not said where Lili had been for the past several hours.

Authorities said even though Lili's disappearance involved people she knew and family members that they issued an Amber Alert because they were concerned about her safety.

Lili had been the focus of an Amber Alert after she was taken from her father's home, located at 2703 NE 57th Terrace, Sunday evening.

Authorities arrested the woman who was believed to have taken the girl. Tammi J. Lampkins, who also is known as Tammi J. Kelly, was taken into custody about 8:30 a.m. Monday at the Parvin Estates apartments on North Wheeling Avenue and Northeast Russell Road in the Northland.

Lili's father told police that Lampkins stopped by at his Gladstone home Sunday evening, and when he briefly stepped out of the room, Lampkins left with Lili. Lampkins is a friend of the girl's mother.

Lili's family said that Willbanks has been estranged from the family for a while. Lili's father has sole custody.

High's mother said because of the volatile relationship between Lili's parents and the custody issues that she believes custody of Lili should be given to a grandparent.